Community Chat

[teachergal]

My sister is a teacher in a public school system.  She is the care giver for our 94 yr. old mom.  I live in another state.  Her superintendent just assigned all staff to distrubute and deliver lunches to the district's students due to the COVID 19 school closure.  I feel this is asking too much of educators.  My mom would likely not live if she got the virus.  I think the district should not ask their teachers to risk their health and the health of their families.  My mom lives with my sister.  Is this allowed, to mandate teachers put their health at risk?  The school district is in WI. TIA for all comments.  

[ninjawife]

If she has concerns she should contact her union representative.

[FrostyBabe1]

I think your sister needs to talk to her union rep to find out if this is allowed. Without knowing what's in their contract, there's no way anyone could possibly answer this. 

[sydsgma1]

My dd is principal of a small district in a neighboring state. She and her staff distribute lunches daily to their students..they drop them off riding the school bus routes. The meals are dropped at the stops, no interaction at all. It works well. 

I would hope your sisters school would provide a way tondistribut with no interaction since your tase is on lockdown.,

my dgds school..metro area has lunches available for pickup at the school. No interaction..the meals must be preordered.

[sydsgma1]

By the way, teachers unions are supportive of this...as long as there is no direct contact.

[CAcableGirl2]

@teachergal   Are they asking her to deliver to students homes?  If so, that assumes a lot about her using her own vehicle.  If they are asking her to just hand a lunch to a car in a

drive thru situation in an open parking lot, it might be expected that she participate or maybe they are just looking for volunteers.  She needs to ask and try to figure out a way that she can avoid being in contact with others if its mandated that she participate. 

Perhaps she can volunteer to do something else that would contribute to what they are trying to do.....calling students homes from her home to let them know about the program, etc...

All companies that are deemed essential are in the same situation "madating their employees to put their health at risk", and often looking for volunteers, including grocery workers, law enforcement, the medical professionals, and others.  

[ECBG]

If this is going to be done, the only way to find a lot of kids is to have a school bus driver that knows the routes; without knowing all those hard to find addresses, you'd never find them plus there should be a stipend for gas and wear and tear on the teacher's cars.

There is a lot more going on here, by the way.

  Those teachers were under contract for the duration of the school year.  Now they're off for a month.. If the school year is extended, they'll have to pay the teachers and staff.

[Kachina624]

Why do they need to have teachers do it?  Why can't the bus drivers drop off the lunches?  I heard here teachers were also dropping off homework assignments.  That could involve discussion.

[kitty60]

Not sure how it is in your area but in two states I am familiar with teachers are still preparing lessons.  These include both worksheet type lessons and on-line lessons.  The packages have to be prepared, copied and organized.  The students then complete the lesson.  On line lessons are graded through that venue and paper lessons have to take pictures of and download into a special program.  The teacher than reviews and corrects all work.  In our area teachers also organized a "ride-through" of the neigborhoods encouraging to go outside, sidewalk chalk, signs, etc.This helps to keep the children enthused.  

I had my grands for a week and it took them several hours each day to do the work so I am sure it takes the teachers several hours to review the work when it has been returned.

Our teachers are not sitting around collecting a paycheck, but continue to work under different conditions.

[teachergal]

If the times were 10 years ago, yes the union would not allow this.  However, in WI. the former Governor Scott Walker ended the Teacher's Union as we know it.  Her school is a rural district and I am sure she knows where all her students live.  The delivery  of the meals would be in a school car, driven by someone else.  The teachers in her school have weekly meetings with parents and students via phone or computer.  She has prepared lessons through April 27th and sent these home.  The parents picked up the lessons on scheduled days.  The point is : Is this allowed?  Can public schools make teachers be at risk?  She is very active in school and the community, but with my mom at her house it's just not safe for her to be out in public and possibily bring home the virus to our mom.  Thanks to those that commented.